Govt revises exempted FASTag rules for Divyangjan, PwD vehicles

New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS) The central government has revised the guidelines for issuance and renewal of exempted FASTags for eligible Divyangjan/PwD beneficiaries to bring greater uniformity in the issuance and reduce the need for repeated procedural formalities, an official statement said on Thursday.

The guidelines will come into effect from October 2, 2026, the statement from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said.

Vehicles specially designed and constructed for use by persons with physical disabilities, as well as vehicles registered under the ownership type ‘Divyangjan’, will be issued exempted FASTag based on the percentage of disability recorded in a valid Disability Certificate, Unique Disability Identity (UDID) Card or other applicable records.

Earlier guidelines mandated renewal of exempted FASTag for Divyangjan on an annual basis. The new guidelines made the validity of the Exempted FASTag based on the recorded percentage of disability.

FASTag issued to persons with 70 per cent to 100 per cent disability will be valid for five years, while those issued to persons with 40 per cent to less than 70 per cent disability will be valid for three years.

The exempted FASTag may be renewed thereafter, subject to continued eligibility and compliance with the provisions of the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008, the statement noted.

New provisions made the National Highway tolling ecosystem more accessible, transparent and user-friendly for eligible Divyangjan/PwD beneficiaries. It also ensured that toll exemptions continue to be administered in accordance with the prescribed rules and eligibility requirements.

‘FASTag Annual Pass’ has crossed the significant milestone of one crore since its launch on August 15 last year, government informed earlier this week.

The pass is applicable for all non-commercial vehicles with a valid FASTag. The annual pass gets activated on the existing FASTag linked to the vehicle after payment of one-time fee payment through Rajmargyatra App.

The Annual Pass eliminates the need to frequently recharge FASTag through one-time fee payment of Rs 3,075 for one year validity or 200 toll plaza crossings.

—IANS

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